JP6813427B2 - Positioning systems, positioning methods, and mobile robots - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a position measurement system and a position measurement method for measuring the position of a target such as an inspection robot. It also relates to a mobile robot used to measure the position of the target.

Conventionally, the position of a target such as a surveying device has been measured by using a signal from a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) satellite such as GPS (Global Positioning System). Further, there is known a method of measuring a position (GPS position) of a target placed in a place where a signal (GPS signal) from a GPS satellite cannot be received on the GPS coordinate system.

For example, the GPS position measurement method described in Patent Document 1 is a measurement station arranged in a tunnel in a place where GPS signals cannot be received (a place shielded from GPS signals) or a place where GPS signal reception intensity is low. In order to measure the GPS position, a relay station that receives time information from GPS satellites and a relay station that is located at a known position to acquire time information from the relay station, and pseudo based on the known position information and time information. It has four pseudo-satellite stations that transmit various GPS signals to the measurement station. The measuring station identifies its own position based on the pseudo GPS signals from these four pseudo satellite stations.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-235532

In the case of the GPS position measurement method described in Patent Document 1, the certainty of the position of the target (measurement station), that is, the accuracy of the position of the target depends on the positioning accuracy by the GPS signal transmitted from the GPS satellite and received by the relay station. To do. However, since the relay station is maintained in an immobilized state while the GPS satellite changes its position every moment, the positioning accuracy by the received GPS signal also changes. As a result, it may not be possible to measure the position of the target with stable accuracy. For example, when the target is a mobile surveying device (for example, a drone) used for tunnel inspection or the like, the inability to measure the position with stable accuracy may affect the reliability of the survey result.

Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to measure the position of a target in a place shielded from the GNSS signal or a place where the reception intensity of the GNSS signal is low by using a GNSS signal such as a GPS signal with stable accuracy.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure
A position measurement system that measures the position of a target using a mobile robot.
A GNSS signal receiving unit mounted on the mobile robot, receiving a GNSS signal, and calculating the position of the mobile robot based on the GNSS signal.
A GNSS signal accuracy evaluation unit mounted on the mobile robot and evaluating the positioning accuracy based on the received GNSS signal.
A position control unit mounted on the mobile robot to move the mobile robot to a high-precision reception position capable of receiving a GNSS signal capable of obtaining positioning accuracy higher than that of the first threshold accuracy.
A relative position detection unit that detects the relative position of the target with respect to the mobile robot located at the high-precision reception position, and
Provided is a position measurement system having a target position calculation unit that calculates the position of the target based on the position of the mobile robot calculated based on the GNSS signal received at the high-precision reception position and the relative position. To.

Also, according to another aspect of the present disclosure.
A position measurement method that measures the position of a target using a mobile robot.
The positioning accuracy is evaluated by the GNSS signal mounted on the mobile robot, which receives the GNSS signal and is received by the GNSS signal receiving unit which calculates the position of the mobile robot based on the GNSS signal.
The mobile robot is moved to a high-precision reception position where it can receive a GNSS signal that can obtain a positioning accuracy higher than that of the first threshold accuracy.
The relative position of the target with respect to the mobile robot located at the high-precision reception position is detected.
Provided is a position measuring method for calculating the position of the target based on the position of the mobile robot calculated based on the GNSS signal received at the high-precision reception position and the relative position.

Moreover, according to yet another aspect of the present disclosure.
A mobile robot that can be used to measure the position of a target.
A GNSS signal receiving unit that receives a GNSS signal and calculates the position of the mobile robot used for measuring the position of the target based on the GNSS signal.
The GNSS signal accuracy evaluation unit that evaluates the positioning accuracy of the received GNSS signal,
Provided is a mobile robot having a position control unit for moving the mobile robot to a high-precision reception position capable of receiving a GNSS signal capable of obtaining a positioning accuracy higher than that of the first threshold accuracy.

According to the present disclosure, using a GNSS signal such as a GPS signal, it is possible to measure the position of a target in a place shielded from the GNSS signal or a place where the reception intensity of the GNSS signal is low with stable accuracy.

Schematic diagram of the position measurement system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Block diagram showing the configuration of the position measurement system according to the first embodiment Conceptual diagram of evaluation value map The figure for demonstrating an example of the detection of a relative position Flow chart of evaluation value map creation Flow chart showing a part of the flow of position measurement Flow chart showing the rest of the position measurement flow Schematic diagram of the position measurement system according to the second embodiment Block diagram showing the configuration of the position measurement system according to the second embodiment Block diagram showing the configuration of the position measurement system according to the third embodiment Block diagram showing the configuration of the position measurement system according to the fourth embodiment Block diagram showing the configuration of the position measurement system according to the fifth embodiment A schematic perspective view of a GPS signal receiving robot provided with a fixing portion for fixing a position according to a sixth embodiment.

The position measurement system of one aspect of the present disclosure is a position measurement system for measuring the position of a target using a mobile robot, which is mounted on the mobile robot, receives a GNSS signal, and is based on the GNSS signal. A GNSS signal receiving unit that calculates the position of the mobile robot, a GNSS signal accuracy evaluation unit that is mounted on the mobile robot and evaluates positioning accuracy based on the received GNSS signal, and a first threshold mounted on the mobile robot. The position control unit that moves the mobile robot to a high-precision reception position that can receive a GNSS signal that can obtain high positioning accuracy compared to the accuracy, and the relative position of the target with respect to the mobile robot located at the high-precision reception position. A relative position detection unit to detect, a target position calculation unit that calculates the position of the target based on the position of the mobile robot calculated based on the GNSS signal received at the high-precision reception position, and the relative position. Has.

According to this aspect, it is possible to measure the position of a target in a place shielded from the GNSS signal or a place where the reception intensity of the GNSS signal is low by using a GNSS signal such as a GPS signal with stable accuracy.

The position measurement system is mounted on the mobile robot, a mobile robot side communication unit, a target side communication unit mounted on the target and communicating with the mobile robot side communication unit, the mobile robot side communication unit, and the target. It has a communication path quality evaluation unit that evaluates the quality of the communication path to and from the side communication unit, and the position control unit is at the high-precision reception position and is compared with the first threshold quality. The mobile robot is moved to a position that is also a high-quality communication position where a high-quality communication path can be established, and the relative position detection unit is located at the high-precision reception position and the high-quality communication position. The relative position of the target with respect to the mobile robot is detected, and the target position calculation unit determines the position of the mobile robot calculated based on the GNSS signal received at the high-precision reception position and the high-quality communication position. The position of the target may be calculated based on the relative position. As a result, when the quality of the communication path between the mobile robot and the target changes, the position of the target can be measured with stable accuracy.

The position measurement system is mounted on the mobile robot, and based on the accuracy evaluation result of the GNSS signal accuracy evaluation unit and the quality evaluation result of the communication path quality evaluation unit, the GNSS signal for each position in space is It has an evaluation value map creation unit that creates an evaluation value map including an aptitude evaluation value indicating suitability for relaying a GNSS signal for reception and communication with the target, and the position control unit is based on the evaluation value map. , The mobile robot may be moved to the position of the highest aptitude evaluation value. As a result, the mobile robot can be placed at a position that is both a high-precision reception position and a high-quality communication position in a short time (compared to the case of searching for the position by trial and error).

When the mobile robot is positioned at the position of the highest aptitude evaluation value, the GNSS signal accuracy evaluation unit evaluates the positioning accuracy by the GNSS signal, and the communication path quality evaluation unit evaluates and evaluates the quality of the communication path. When the accuracy of the side unit based on the GNSS signal is higher than that of the first threshold accuracy and the quality of the evaluated communication path is higher than that of the first threshold quality in the first situation. The target position calculation unit may calculate the position of the target. This confirms whether the position of the highest aptitude evaluation value corresponds to a position that is both a high-precision reception position and a high-quality communication position, and as a result, reliably measures the target position with stable accuracy. can do.

When the mobile robot is positioned at the position of the highest aptitude evaluation value, the GNSS signal accuracy evaluation unit evaluates the positioning accuracy by the GNSS signal, and the communication path quality evaluation unit evaluates and evaluates the quality of the communication path. The positioning accuracy based on the GNSS signal is lower than that of the first threshold accuracy, and is lower than that of the second threshold accuracy, and the quality of the evaluated communication path is lower than that of the first threshold quality. In the case of the second situation, which is lower than the low second threshold quality, the evaluation value map creation unit uses the positioning accuracy by the evaluated GNSS signal and the quality of the communication path to create the evaluation value map. You may update. As a result, an evaluation value map suitable for the latest situation is created.

When the mobile robot is positioned at the position of the highest aptitude evaluation value, the GNSS signal accuracy evaluation unit evaluates the positioning accuracy by the GNSS signal, and the communication path quality evaluation unit evaluates and evaluates the quality of the communication path. The first situation where the positioning accuracy based on the GNSS signal is higher than the first threshold accuracy and the quality of the evaluated communication path is higher than the first threshold quality is evaluated. The positioning accuracy of the GNSS signal is lower than that of the first threshold accuracy, and is lower than that of the second threshold accuracy, and the quality of the evaluated communication path is lower than that of the first threshold quality. If the situation is different for both the lower second situation compared to the lower second threshold quality, the position control unit may move the mobile robot to change its position. As a result, the search for a position that is both a high-precision reception position and a high-quality communication position is continued.

The relative position detection unit and the target position calculation unit may be mounted on the target, in which case the position of the mobile robot calculated by the GNSS signal reception unit is the target from the mobile robot side communication unit. It is transmitted to the side communication unit.

The position measurement system may be mounted on the target and may have a second GNSS signal receiving unit that receives the GNSS signal and calculates the position of the target based on the GNSS signal. As a result, when the target is located at a position where the GNSS signal can be received, the position of the target can be calculated based on the GNSS signal received by the second GNSS signal receiving unit.

When the position measurement system has a second GNSS signal receiving unit, the target is mounted on the target and integrates the positions of the target calculated by the target position calculating unit and the second GNSS signal receiving unit. It may have a position integration unit. As a result, the position after integration has high reliability as compared with the position calculated by the target position calculation unit or the position calculated by the second GNSS signal receiving unit.

When the position measurement system has a second GNSS signal receiving unit, a target mounted on the target and selecting the position of the target calculated by the target position calculating unit and the second GNSS signal receiving unit, respectively. It may have a position selection unit. Thereby, for example, a position calculated based on a relatively high-precision GNSS signal can be obtained as a measurement result.

The target may be a robot that is movable and performs a survey using the position of the target. As a result, the survey can be performed with stable accuracy based on the position of the target measured with stable accuracy.

The mobile robot may include a fixing portion for fixing the position. As a result, the mobile robot can be stopped at the highly accurate reception position, so that the position of the target can be measured with more stable accuracy.

Another aspect of the position measurement method of the present disclosure is a position measurement method for measuring the position of a target using a mobile robot, which is mounted on the mobile robot, receives a GNSS signal, and is based on the GNSS signal. The positioning accuracy is evaluated by the GNSS signal received by the GNSS signal receiving unit that calculates the position of the mobile robot, and the GNSS signal that can obtain a higher positioning accuracy than the first threshold accuracy can be received. The mobile robot is moved to the reception position, the relative position of the target with respect to the mobile robot located at the high-precision reception position is detected, and the mobile robot calculated based on the GNSS signal received at the high-precision reception position. The position of the target is calculated based on the position of and the relative position.

According to this aspect, it is possible to measure the position of a target in a place shielded from the GNSS signal or a place where the reception intensity of the GNSS signal is low by using a GNSS signal such as a GPS signal with stable accuracy.

Yet another aspect of the mobile robot of the present disclosure is a mobile robot that can be used to measure the position of a target, which receives a GNSS signal and is used for measuring the position of the target based on the GNSS signal. A GNSS signal receiving unit that calculates the position of the mobile robot, a GNSS signal accuracy evaluation unit that evaluates the positioning accuracy of the received GNSS signal, and a GNSS signal that can obtain higher positioning accuracy than the first threshold accuracy. It has a position control unit for moving the mobile robot to a high-precision receiving position capable of receiving the above.

According to this aspect, it is possible to measure the position of a target in a place shielded from the GNSS signal or a place where the reception intensity of the GNSS signal is low by using a GNSS signal such as a GPS signal with stable accuracy.

The mobile robot may have a relative position detection unit for detecting the relative position of the target with respect to the mobile robot located at the high-precision reception position.

Even if the mobile robot has a target position calculation unit that calculates the position of the target based on the position of the mobile robot calculated based on the GNSS signal received at the high-precision reception position and the relative position. Good.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. However, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of already well-known matters and duplicate explanations for substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary redundancy of the following description and to facilitate the understanding of those skilled in the art.

It should be noted that the inventors intend to limit the subject matter described in the claims by those skilled in the art by providing the accompanying drawings and the following description in order to fully understand the present disclosure. It's not a thing.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 schematically shows a position measurement system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a position measurement system.

As shown in FIG. 1, the position measurement system 10 includes a GPS signal receiving robot 100 which is a movable robot, and an inspection robot 200 which is a target of position measurement. Further, the position measurement system 10 uses signals (GPS signals) S1 to S4 from a plurality of GPS satellites GS1 to GS4 of GPS (Global Positioning System), which is an example of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System). Measure the position of. In the case of the present embodiment, the inspection robot 200 is configured to perform inspection (surveying for that purpose) in a place where GPS signals S1 to S4 cannot be received, for example, in a tunnel T.

As shown in FIG. 1, the GPS signal receiving robot 100 is, for example, a robot in the form of a multicopter that can freely move in a three-dimensional space, a so-called drone. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the GPS signal receiving robot 100 receives the communication unit 102 for communicating with the inspection robot 200, the position control unit 104 for changing the position, and the GPS signals S1 to S4. GPS signal receiving unit 106, GPS signal accuracy evaluation unit 108 that evaluates the positioning accuracy of the received GPS signal, and communication path quality evaluation unit 110 that evaluates the quality of the communication path between the inspection robot 200. It has an evaluation value map creating unit 112 for creating a value map and a storage unit 114.

On the other hand, in the case of the present embodiment, the position measurement target (target) inspection robot 200 is a so-called drone, which is a multicopter robot that can freely move in three-dimensional space, like the GPS signal receiving robot 100. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the inspection robot 200 includes a communication unit 202 for communicating with the GPS signal receiving robot 100, a position control unit 204 for changing the position, and an inspection robot 200 for the GPS signal receiving robot 100. It has a relative position detecting unit 206 for detecting the relative position of the robot 200, a position calculating unit 208 for calculating the position of the inspection robot 200, a surveying unit 210 for performing a survey, and a storage unit 212.

The communication unit 102 of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 and the communication unit 202 of the inspection robot 200 are configured to perform wireless communication with each other using radio waves, and are composed of, for example, an antenna and a transmitter / receiver. The provision of various information D (data) from one of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 and the inspection robot 200 to the other is performed via these communication units 102 and 202.

The position control unit 104 of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 and the position control unit 204 of the inspection robot 200 are for changing the positions of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 and the inspection robot 200, that is, moving them. In the case of the present embodiment, since both the robots 100 and 200 are in the multicopter form, the position control units 104 and 204 include a plurality of rotor blades, a plurality of motors for rotationally driving the rotary blades, and motors. It consists of a motor control device that controls the number of revolutions.

The GPS signal receiving unit 106 of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 is a GPS signal receiver that receives GPS signals S1 to S4 from the GPS satellites GS1 to GS4 shown in FIG. 1, and receives GPS signals based on the received GPS signals. The position of the robot 100, that is, the position in the GPS coordinate system is calculated. In consideration of the error between the clocks (atomic clocks) mounted on the GPS satellites GS1 to GS4 and the clock mounted on the GPS signal receiving unit 106, the GPS signal receiving unit 106 has four or more GPSs. It is preferable to receive GPS signals from satellites.

The GPS signal accuracy evaluation unit 108 of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 evaluates the positioning accuracy of the GPS signal received by the GPS signal receiving unit 106. Positioning accuracy based on GPS signals includes, for example, signal accuracy reduction rate (DOP: Distribution Of Precision), number of received satellites, GPS positioning quality (single positioning, differential positioning, RTK-Fix positioning, RTK-Float positioning), and GPS signals. Is represented by the variance value, standard deviation value, etc. of the positioning position obtained during the continuous reception for a predetermined period, and can be further represented by a combination thereof and a linear combination.

The values of PDOP (Position DOP), HDOP (Horizontal DOP), and VDOP (Vertical DOP) are used for DOP, PDOP represents the position accuracy, and HDOP and VDOP represent the horizontal component and the vertical component of the PDOP. PDOP, HDOP, and VDOP have high positioning accuracy when the value is small, and low positioning accuracy when the value is large, and can be treated in the same manner as the standard deviation of the probability distribution. As for the GPS positioning quality, the positioning accuracy is higher in the order of RTK-Fix positioning, RTK-Float positioning, Differential positioning, and independent positioning. The specific level of positioning accuracy for each GPS positioning quality depends on the GPS positioning system and is uniquely determined for each GPS positioning system. Regarding the dispersion value / standard deviation value of the positioning position obtained by continuously receiving the GPS signal for a predetermined period, the dispersion value is represented by the square of the standard deviation value, and the larger the value, the lower the positioning accuracy. The smaller the value, the higher the positioning accuracy.

The GPS signal accuracy evaluation unit 108 calculates the accuracy evaluation value AV as the evaluation result of the positioning accuracy by the GPS signal. The calculated accuracy evaluation value AV is stored in the storage unit 114 in association with the position of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 when the GPS signal whose accuracy has been evaluated is received.

The high positioning accuracy of the GPS signal means that the position accuracy of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 calculated by the GPS signal receiving unit 106 using the signal is high.

The communication path quality evaluation unit 110 of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 evaluates the quality of the communication path between the communication unit 102 of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 and the communication unit 202 of the inspection robot 200. The quality of the communication path can be expressed by, for example, the reception strength of the radio wave signal received by the communication unit 202 of the inspection robot 200, the signal noise ratio, the transmission / reception error rate, and the like. Furthermore, it can be represented by their combination and linear combination. If the reception strength of the radio signal is high, the quality of the communication path is high, and if it is low, the quality is low. If the signal-to-noise ratio is large, the quality of the communication path is high, and if it is small, the quality is low. If the transmission / reception error rate is large, the quality of the communication path is low, and if it is small, the quality is high.

The communication path quality evaluation unit 110 calculates the quality evaluation value QV as the evaluation result of the quality of the communication path. The calculated quality evaluation value QV is associated with the position of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 when the quality of the communication path is evaluated, and is stored in the storage unit 114.

In order to evaluate the quality of the communication path, the communication unit 102 of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 and the communication unit 202 of the inspection robot 200 exchange information. For example, information regarding the strength of the signal received by the communication unit 202 of the inspection robot 200 is transmitted to the communication unit 102 of the GPS signal reception robot 100.

The evaluation value map creation unit 112 of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 creates an evaluation value map based on the accuracy evaluation result of the GPS signal accuracy evaluation unit 108 and the quality evaluation result of the communication path quality evaluation unit 110.

Specifically, the evaluation value map is a map for assisting in the search for the position of the GPS signal receiving robot 100, which is optimal for measuring the position of the inspection robot 200. The evaluation value map includes an aptitude evaluation value FV indicating the suitability for relaying GNSS signals for receiving GPS signals and communicating with targets for each position in space.

The aptitude evaluation value FV is calculated based on the accuracy evaluation value AV calculated by the GPS signal accuracy evaluation unit 108 and the quality evaluation value QV calculated by the communication path quality evaluation unit 110.
Specifically, the aptitude evaluation value FV at a certain position in space is calculated by the accuracy evaluation value AV and the quality evaluation value QV at that position.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of the evaluation value map. For example, when expressed by a spatial position X-Y-Z coordinate system of coordinates (X, Y, Z), FIG. 3 shows the distribution of the qualification value FV at Z = _{Z n.} Position _{(X n-1, Y n} + 1, Z n) An example qualification value FV of at the position _{(X n-1, Y n} + 1, Z n) to association has been accuracy evaluation stored in the storage unit 114 It is a function of the value AV and the quality evaluation value QV. For example, the aptitude evaluation value FV is defined as in Equation 1.

The coefficients α and β are weights. Since it is most important to receive a highly accurate GPS signal, the aptitude evaluation value FV of the position where the GPS signal receiving robot 100 can be placed is usually set to have a coefficient α larger than that of the coefficient β. The coefficients α and β may be changed depending on the situation or as necessary. Further, the formula for defining the aptitude evaluation value FV, which is a function of the accuracy evaluation value AV and the quality evaluation value QV, may be a formula other than the formula 1.

The details of the evaluation value map creation method will be described later, but the created evaluation value map is stored as data in the storage unit 114 of the GPS signal receiving robot 100. Further, the evaluation value map may be created by evaluating the positioning accuracy by the GPS signal at all the positions where the GPS signal receiving robot 100 can be arranged and evaluating the quality of the communication path. The evaluation value map can also be created by a minimum value search algorithm represented by a gradient method such as a coarse-dense search method, a mountain climbing method, or a steepest descent method.

Returning to FIG. 2, the relative position detection unit 206 of the inspection robot 200 is configured to detect the relative position of the inspection robot 200 with respect to the GPS signal receiving robot 100.

FIG. 4 shows an example of detecting the relative position of the inspection robot 200 with respect to the GPS signal receiving robot 100.

As shown in FIG. 4, in order to detect the relative position, the GPS signal receiving robot 100 has a plurality (4) pattern signal output devices 150A to 150D that output different pattern signals SA to SD, respectively. Each of the plurality of pattern signal output devices 150A to 150D is provided at different positions of the GPS signal receiving robot 100. On the other hand, the inspection robot 200 has a pattern signal receiving device 250 that receives the pattern signals SA to SD transmitted from the plurality of pattern signal output devices 150A to 150D.

The relative position detection unit 206 is a GPS signal from the pattern signal receiving device 250 based on the propagation time (time from transmission to reception) of the pattern signals SA to SD transmitted from the pattern signal output devices 150A to 150D. The distances to each of the pattern signal output devices 150A to 150D of the receiving robot 100 are calculated. Then, based on the calculated distance, the relative position detection unit 206 detects (calculates) the relative position of the inspection robot 200 with respect to the GPS signal receiving robot 100. That is, the relative position detection unit 206 calculates the relative position by using the same method as GPS. In consideration of the error between the clock mounted on the GPS signal receiving robot 100 and the clock mounted on the inspection robot 200, the relative position detecting unit 206 transmits from four or more pattern signal transmitting devices. It is preferable to detect the relative position based on the pattern signal to be generated. Further, the detected relative position is stored as data in the storage unit 212.

Although the details will be described later, in the case of the present embodiment, in the relative position detection unit 206, the GPS signal receiving robot 100 has a higher accuracy evaluation value AV than the first threshold accuracy evaluation value AV _T1 , that is, high accuracy. The quality evaluation value QV is higher than that of the first threshold quality evaluation value QV _T1 , that is, a high-quality communication path with the inspection robot 200 is provided at a high-precision reception position capable of receiving the GPS signal of. The relative position of the inspection robot 200 is detected when the robot 200 exists at a position that is a high-quality communication position that can be established.

The position calculation unit 208 of the inspection robot 200 calculates the position of the inspection robot 200, and in the case of the present embodiment, the position in the GPS coordinate system. Therefore, the information on the position (position in the GPS coordinate system) of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 calculated by the GPS signal receiving unit 106 and the relative of the inspection robot 200 to the GPS signal receiving robot 100 detected by the relative position detecting unit 206. Get location information and. Based on the acquired information, the position calculation unit 208 calculates the position (position in the GPS coordinate system) of the inspection robot 200.

Details will be described later, but in the case of the present embodiment, the position calculation unit 208 uses the inspection robot 200 when the GPS signal receiving robot 100 is in the above-mentioned high-precision receiving position and the above-mentioned high-quality communication position. Calculate the position.

The surveying unit 210 of the inspection robot 200 is a surveying device such as a laser surveying instrument for surveying the ceiling or side surface of the tunnel T, or a camera for photographing the ceiling or side surface. The surveying unit 210 conducts a survey using the position of the inspection robot 200 calculated by the position calculation unit 208. The survey result of the survey unit 210 is stored as data in the storage unit 212, or is transmitted to an external device (not shown) for monitoring the survey result.

Up to this point, the components of the position measurement system 10, that is, the components of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 and the inspection robot 200 have been described. From here, a method of creating an evaluation value map and a method of calculating the position of the inspection robot 200 using the evaluation value map will be described.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of an example of creating an evaluation value map.

As shown in FIG. 5, first, in step S10, the GPS signal receiving unit 106 of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 receives the GPS signal.

Next, in step S12, the GPS signal receiving unit 106 calculates the current position Pc of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 based on the GPS signal received in step S10.

Subsequently, in step S14, the GPS signal accuracy evaluation unit 108 evaluates the positioning accuracy based on the GPS signal received in step S10, that is, calculates the accuracy evaluation value AV.

In step S16, the communication unit 102 of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 communicates with the communication unit 202 of the inspection robot 200 to evaluate the quality of the communication path.

Next, in step S18, the communication path quality evaluation unit 110 evaluates the quality of the communication path of the communication in step S16, that is, calculates the quality evaluation value QV.

In step S20, the evaluation value map creation unit 112 calculates the aptitude evaluation value FV of the current position Pc based on the accuracy evaluation value AV calculated in step S14 and the quality evaluation value QV calculated in step 18.

In step S22, the aptitude evaluation value FV calculated in step S20 and the current position Pc are associated with each other and stored in the storage unit 114.

In step S24, it is determined whether or not the calculation of the aptitude evaluation value FV is completed for all the positions where the GPS signal receiving robot 100 can be placed. When the calculation of the aptitude evaluation value FV for all the positions is completed, the creation of the evaluation value map is completed, and the completed evaluation value map is stored in the storage unit 114.

When the evaluation value map is created by the minimum value search algorithm represented by the gradient method such as the coarse-dense search method, the mountain climbing method, and the steepest descent method as described above, in step S24, the evaluation value map is created by the gradient method. It is determined whether or not the calculation of the aptitude evaluation value FV for all the minimum necessary positions for creating the above is completed. The minimum required positions are, for example, all the values that can be taken at the intersection of the division surfaces when a cube composed of XYZ axes of a certain size is divided into equal parts by a certain number of divisions for each axis. is there. In terms of direction, the X-axis represents the east-west direction, the Y-axis represents the north-south direction, and the Z-axis represents the height direction.

On the other hand, if the calculation of the aptitude evaluation value FV for all the positions is not completed, the process proceeds to step S26, and the position control unit 104 changes the position of the GPS signal receiving robot 100. Then, the process returns to step S10, and the calculation of the aptitude evaluation value FV for the changed position is executed.

6A and 6B are flowcharts showing a flow of an example of calculating the position of the inspection robot 200 using the evaluation value map.

As shown in FIG. 6A, first, in step S50, the position control unit 104 moves the GPS signal receiving robot 100 to a position having the highest aptitude evaluation value FV in the evaluation value map. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the position p (X, Y, Z) is the GPS signal reception robot 100 are in the position with the highest qualification value _{FVmax (X n, Y n,} Z n) is moved to.

Next, in step S52, the GPS signal receiving unit 106 of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 that has moved to the highest aptitude evaluation value FV _max in step S50 receives the GPS signal.

Subsequently, in step S54, the GPS signal receiving unit 106 calculates the current position Pc of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 based on the GPS signal received in step S52.

Subsequently, in step S56, the GPS signal accuracy evaluation unit 108 evaluates the positioning accuracy based on the GPS signal received in step S52, that is, calculates the accuracy evaluation value AV.

In step S58, the communication unit 102 of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 communicates with the communication unit 202 of the inspection robot 200 to evaluate the quality of the communication path.

Next, in step S60, the communication path quality evaluation unit 110 evaluates the quality of the communication path of the communication in step S58, that is, calculates the quality evaluation value QV.

As shown in FIG. 6B, in step S62, the accuracy evaluation value AV calculated in step S56 is higher than the first threshold accuracy evaluation value AV _T1 , and the quality evaluation value QV calculated in step S60 is higher. It is determined whether or not the situation is higher than the first threshold quality evaluation value QV _T1 (first situation). If it is the first situation, the process proceeds to step S64. If not, the process proceeds to step S68.

This step S62 is a step for reconfirming the position having the highest aptitude evaluation value FV _max in the evaluation value map. That is, this position is at a high-precision receiving position where the GPS signal receiving robot 100 can receive GPS capable of obtaining high positioning accuracy, and is of high quality capable of establishing a high-quality communication path with the inspection robot 200. This is a step for confirming that the device exists at a position that is a communication position.

Therefore, the first threshold accuracy evaluation value AV _T1 corresponds to the positioning accuracy based on the GPS signal, which is the minimum necessary for receiving the GPS signal that can obtain high positioning accuracy, and the second threshold quality evaluation value QV. _T1 is the minimum quality of the communication path required to establish a high quality communication path. The quality of this communication path is the transmission of the position (data) of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 to the inspection robot 200, which is necessary for detecting the relative position of the inspection robot 200 with respect to the GPS signal receiving robot 100 and calculating the position of the inspection robot 200. Affects. Therefore, the first threshold accuracy evaluation value AV _T1 and the second threshold quality evaluation value QV _T1 are the minimum values necessary for measuring the position of the inspection robot 200 with high accuracy.

The first threshold accuracy evaluation value AV _T1 and the first threshold accuracy evaluation value QV _T1 may be changeable according to the required position measurement accuracy of the inspection robot 200.

In step S62, the accuracy evaluation value AV is higher than the first threshold accuracy evaluation value AV _T1 , and the quality evaluation value QV is higher than the first threshold quality evaluation value QV _T1 (first). If it is determined that the situation), in step 64, the relative position detection unit 206 of the inspection robot 200 detects the relative position Pr of the inspection robot 200 with respect to the GPS signal receiving robot 100.

Next, in step 66, the position calculation unit 208 of the inspection robot 200 determines the inspection robot 200 based on the current position Pc of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 calculated in step S54 and the relative position Pr detected in step S64. Calculate the position Pt. Then, the position measurement of the inspection robot 200 is completed.

In step S62, the accuracy evaluation value AV is higher than the first threshold accuracy evaluation value AV _T1 and the quality evaluation value QV is higher than the first threshold quality evaluation value QV _T1 (first). If it is determined that the situation is not the case, the following determination is made in step S68. Specifically, the accuracy evaluation value AV calculated in step 56 is lower than the second threshold accuracy evaluation value AV _T2 , and the quality evaluation value QV calculated in step 60 is the second threshold accuracy. It is determined whether or not the situation is lower than the evaluation value QV _T2 (second situation). The second threshold accuracy evaluation value AV _T2 is set to a value lower than that of the first threshold accuracy evaluation value AV _T1 . Further, the second threshold quality evaluation value QV _T2 is set to a lower value than the first threshold quality evaluation value QV _T1 . If the result of the determination is the second situation, the process proceeds to step S70. If not, the process proceeds to step S80.

In step S70, the accuracy evaluation value AV calculated in step S56 is lower than the third threshold accuracy evaluation value AV _T3 , and the quality evaluation value QV calculated in step S60 is the third threshold quality evaluation. It is determined whether or not the situation is lower than the value QV _T3 . The third threshold accuracy evaluation value AV _T3 is set to a value lower than that of the second threshold accuracy evaluation value AV _T2 . Further, the third threshold quality evaluation value QV _T3 is set to a value lower than that of the second threshold quality evaluation value QV _T2 . When the accuracy evaluation value AV is lower than the third threshold accuracy evaluation value AV _T3 and the quality evaluation value QV is lower than the third threshold quality evaluation value QV _T3 , the process proceeds to step S72. If not, the process proceeds to step S74.

In step S72, the evaluation value map is recreated. This is because the accuracy evaluation value AV and the quality evaluation value QV calculated at that position are low even though it is the position of the highest aptitude evaluation value FV _max in the evaluation value map. That is, the evaluation value map used does not match the latest situation. Therefore, based on the latest situation, the latest evaluation value map suitable for the latest situation is recreated according to the flow shown in FIG.

In step S74, the evaluation value map creation unit 112 uses the accuracy evaluation value AV calculated in step S56 and the quality evaluation value QV calculated in step S60 to determine the suitability evaluation value FV of the current position Pc in the evaluation value map. Update. That is, the current position Pc having the highest aptitude evaluation value FV _max is updated as a position unsuitable for the position measurement of the inspection robot 200. As a result, the evaluation value map is updated according to the latest situation.

In step S76 following step S74, it is determined whether or not the update of the aptitude evaluation value FV in the evaluation value map is continuously executed, for example, twice in succession. If the update is continuously performed, the process proceeds to step 78, and the evaluation value map is recreated in the same manner as in step S72. If not, the process returns to step S50 shown in FIG. 6A to measure the position Pt of the inspection robot 200.

In step S68, the accuracy evaluation value AV is lower than the second threshold accuracy evaluation value AV _T2 , and the quality evaluation value QV is lower than the second threshold accuracy evaluation value QV _T2 (second). If it is determined that the situation is not the case, the position control unit 104 changes the position of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 in step S80. At this time, the position of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 is changed to the position having the highest aptitude evaluation value FV at a plurality of positions adjacent to the current position Pc. Then, the process returns to step S52 shown in FIG. 6A.

According to the first embodiment as described above, it is possible to measure the position of the inspection robot in a place shielded from the GPS signal or a place where the reception intensity of the GPS signal is low by using the GPS signal with stable accuracy. it can.

(Embodiment 2)
The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment described above is that a relay robot exists between the mobile robot and the inspection robot. Therefore, the position measurement system according to the second embodiment will be described focusing on the different points.

FIG. 7 schematically shows a position measurement system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the position measurement system.

As shown in FIG. 7, the position measurement system according to the second embodiment includes a GPS signal receiving robot 100, an inspection robot 200, and a relay robot 300. The components substantially the same as those of the above-described first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The relay robot 300 is used when the GPS signal receiving robot 100 and the inspection robot 200 are far apart from each other. That is, when the relative position of the inspection robot 200 with respect to the GPS signal receiving robot 100 cannot be detected with the required accuracy, or when the communication path cannot be established between the GPS signal receiving robot 100 and the inspection robot 200. In this case, the relay robot 300 is used. For example, the inspection robot 200 is used when performing an inspection at the back of the tunnel T far away from the entrance of the tunnel T on the side where the GPS signal receiving robot 100 exists.

Further, the relay robot 300 includes a communication unit 302 for communicating with the communication unit 102 of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 and the communication unit 202 of the inspection robot 200, and a position control unit 304 for changing the position of the relay robot 300. Have. In the case of the second embodiment, the relay robot 300 is a so-called drone, which is a multicopter robot that can freely move in a three-dimensional space, like the GPS signal receiving robot 100 and the inspection robot 200.

In summary, the position measurement system 20 according to the second embodiment using the relay robot 300 measures the position of the inspection robot 200 as follows.

First, the relative position of the relay robot 300 with respect to the GPS signal receiving robot 100 is detected. Therefore, the relay robot 300 has a relative position detection unit 306. The relative position detecting unit 306 relays to the GPS signal receiving robot 100 in the same manner as the method in which the relative position detecting unit 206 of the first embodiment detects the relative position of the inspection robot 200 with respect to the GPS signal receiving robot 100. The relative position of the robot 300 is detected. Next, the position calculation unit 308 of the relay robot 300 calculates the position of the relay robot 300 based on the position of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 and the relative position detected by the relative position detection unit 306. Therefore, the communication unit 302 of the relay robot 300 receives the position (data) of the GPS signal reception robot 100 from the communication unit 102 of the GPS signal reception robot 100. The calculated position of the relay robot 300 is stored in the storage unit 310.

As described above, the relay robot 300 is also a target whose position is measured by using the GPS signal, like the inspection robot 200 in the first embodiment described above.

When the position of the relay robot 300 is calculated, the relative position detection unit 206 of the inspection robot 200 detects the relative position of the inspection robot 200 with respect to the relay robot 300. Further, the inspection robot 200 receives the position (data) of the relay robot 300 from the communication unit 302 of the relay robot 300. The position calculation unit 208 calculates the position of the inspection robot 200 based on the received position of the relay robot 300 and the relative position detected by the relative position detection unit 206.

By using the relay robot 300 in this way, even when the GPS signal receiving robot 100 and the inspection robot 200 are far apart, the position of the inspection robot can be measured with stable accuracy using the GPS signal. it can.

A plurality of relay robots 300 may be used. For example, a plurality of relay robots 300 may be arranged in series between the GPS signal receiving robot 100 and the inspection robot 200. The relay robot 300 on the inspection robot 200 side detects the position relative to the adjacent relay robot 300 on the GPS signal receiving robot 100 side. Further, the position of each of the relay robots 300 is calculated based on the relative position. As a result, the position of the inspection robot 200 can be calculated using the position of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 calculated based on the GPS signal.

Further, a plurality of (at least three) relay robots 300 may be arranged in parallel with the inspection robot 200. In this case, first, the relative positions of the relay robots 300 with respect to the GPS signal receiving robot 100 are detected, and the positions of the relay robots 300 are calculated based on the relative positions. Next, the distance between each of the relay robots 300 whose position has been calculated and the inspection robot 200 is measured, and the relative position of the inspection robot 200 with respect to the relay robot 300 is detected based on the distance. As a result, the position of the inspection robot 200 can be calculated using the position of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 calculated based on the GPS signal.

Further, the means for relaying the GPS signal receiving robot 100 and the inspection robot 200 is not limited to the movable relay robot 300. For example, instead of the relay robot 300, a stationary relay station whose position is fixed may be used.

(Embodiment 3)
In the case of the above-described first and second embodiments, the inspection robot is used in a place where the GPS signal cannot be received, that is, shielded from the GPS signal based on the position of the GPS signal receiving robot capable of receiving the GPS signal. It is premised that the position of the inspection robot in the place where the GPS signal is received or the place where the GPS signal reception strength is low is calculated. However, it is also assumed that the inspection robot will be used in a place where it can receive GPS signals. The third embodiment corresponds to this assumption.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a position measurement system according to the third embodiment. The components substantially the same as those of the above-described first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 9, the inspection robot 400 of the position measurement system 30 receives a GPS signal and calculates the position of the inspection robot 400 in the same manner as the GPS signal receiving unit 106 of the GPS signal receiving robot 100. It has 414.

As a result, when the GPS signal cannot be received, the position calculated by the position calculation unit 208 (calculated based on the position of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 and the relative position of the inspection robot 400 with respect to the GPS signal receiving robot 100). Is used for inspection (surveying) by the inspection robot 400. On the other hand, when the GPS signal can be received, the position of the inspection robot 400 calculated by the GPS signal receiving unit 414 is used for the inspection (survey) by the inspection robot 400.

In the third embodiment as well, the position of the inspection robot can be measured with stable accuracy by using the GPS signal as in the first and second embodiments described above. Further, when the inspection robot is used in a place where GPS signals can be received, the use of the GPS signal receiving robot can be suppressed. Thereby, for example, the battery consumption of the GPS signal receiving robot can be suppressed, and the maintenance of the GPS signal receiving robot can be performed.

(Embodiment 4)
The fourth embodiment is an improved form of the third embodiment described above.

In the case of the third embodiment described above, either the position calculated by the position calculation unit 208 or the position calculated by the GPS signal reception unit 414 is used for the inspection (survey) by the inspection robot 400.

On the other hand, in the case of the fourth embodiment, the inspection robot performs the inspection (survey) in consideration of both the position calculated by the position calculation unit and the position calculated by the GPS signal reception unit.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a position measurement system according to the fourth embodiment. The components substantially the same as the components of the above-described first to third embodiments are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 10, the inspection robot 500 of the position measurement system 40 integrates the position calculated by the position calculation unit 208 and the position calculated by the GPS signal reception unit 414 to determine the position used for the survey. It has a position integration unit 516 to be calculated.

The position integration unit 516 calculates, for example, the average position of the position calculated by the position calculation unit 208 and the position calculated by the GPS signal reception unit 414. Further, for example, as shown in the following mathematical formula 2, the position P1 calculated by the position calculation unit 208 and the position P2 calculated by the GPS signal reception unit 414 are weighted differently to calculate the position. γ is a number less than one.

By using the position integrated by the position integration unit 516, the survey result is different from the case where either the position calculated by the position calculation unit 2208 or the position calculated by the GPS signal reception unit 414 is used. It has high reliability. That is, the position after the integration has higher reliability than the respective positions before the integration.

For example, when the GPS signal receiving unit 414 of the inspection robot 500 does not directly receive the GPS signal from the GPS satellite but receives the GPS signal reflected on the ground or the like, the GPS signal receiving unit 414 calculates the value. If only the position of the inspection robot 500 is used for the survey, the reliability of the survey result becomes low.

Also in the fourth embodiment, the position of the inspection robot can be measured with stable accuracy by using the GPS signal as in the first to third embodiments described above.

(Embodiment 5)
The fifth embodiment is an improved form of the third embodiment described above.

In the case of the third embodiment described above, either the position calculated by the position calculation unit 208 or the position calculated by the GPS signal reception unit 414 is used for the inspection (survey) by the inspection robot 400. Specifically, if the GPS signal receiving unit 414 of the inspection robot 400 can receive the GPS signal, the position calculated by the GPS signal is used, and if not, the position calculated by the position calculating unit 208 is used. used.

On the other hand, in the case of the fifth embodiment, either the position calculated by the position calculation unit 208 or the position calculated by the GPS signal reception unit 414 is selected, and the selected position is inspected by the inspection robot 600. Used for (surveying).

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a position measurement system according to the fifth embodiment. The components substantially the same as the components of the above-described first to fourth embodiments are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The inspection robot 600 has a used position selection unit 618 in order to select either the position calculated by the position calculation unit 208 or the position calculated by the GPS signal reception unit 414.

The used position selection unit 618 selects either the position calculated by the position calculation unit 208 or the position calculated by the GPS signal reception unit 414 based on the selection profile defined in advance by the user, that is, Select according to the user's intention.

Further, for example, the used position selection unit 618 has positioning accuracy based on the GPS signal received by the GPS signal receiving unit 106 mounted on the GPS signal receiving robot 100 and the GPS received by the GPS signal receiving unit 414 mounted on the inspection robot 600. Compare with the positioning accuracy by signal. When the positioning accuracy of the former GPS signal is higher than the positioning accuracy of the latter GPS signal, the position of the inspection robot 600 calculated by the position calculation unit 208 based on the former GPS signal is selected. On the other hand, when the positioning accuracy of the latter GPS signal is high, the position of the inspection robot 600 calculated by the GPS signal receiving unit 414 mounted on the inspection robot 600 is selected.

Also in the fifth embodiment, the position of the inspection robot can be measured with stable accuracy by using the GPS signal as in the first to fourth embodiments described above.

(Embodiment 6)
The sixth embodiment is an improved form of the above-described first to fifth embodiments.

In the case of the above-described first to fifth embodiments, the GPS signal receiving robot 100 is at a position where a high-precision GPS signal can be received (high-precision receiving position) and has high-quality communication with the inspection robots 200 to 600. It is placed at a position that is also a position where a route can be established (high quality communication position). Then, a GPS signal is received at that position, and the positions of the inspection robots 200 to 600 are measured (calculated) based on the received GPS signal.

However, in the case of the above-described first to fifth embodiments, since the GPS signal receiving robot 100 is a multicopter robot that can move in three-dimensional space, it may stay at a certain position when affected by wind or the like. difficult. Therefore, the GPS signal receiving robot 100 of the sixth embodiment is configured to be able to stay at a fixed position.

FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 according to the sixth embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 12, the signal receiving robot 100 according to the sixth embodiment has a tripod 122 as a fixing portion for fixing the position. Each leg of the tripod 122 has a tip that can pierce the ground or the like. The tripod 122 is a position where a high-precision GPS signal can be received (high-precision reception position) and a position where a high-quality communication path can be established with the inspection robot (high-quality communication position). The GPS signal receiving robot 100 can be fixed to the above. As a result, the position of the inspection robot can be measured (calculated) with high accuracy based on the GPS signal received by the GPS signal receiving unit 106 of the fixed GPS signal receiving robot 100.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the above-described embodiments 1 to 6, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto.

For example, in the case of the first embodiment described above, the position of the inspection robot 200 is measured (calculated) based on a GPS signal from a GPS satellite, which is an example of GNSS, but is not limited to this. For example, the position of the inspection robot 200 may be calculated based on a signal from a satellite of GLONASS, which is another example of GNSS. Alternatively, the position of the inspection robot 200 may be measured based on the signals from the satellites of the plurality of satellite positioning systems included in the GNSS. As the number of satellites increases, the accuracy of measuring the position of the inspection robot 200 based on the signals from them improves.

Further, in the case of the first embodiment described above, the GPS signal receiving robot 100 is a multicopter-type mobile robot capable of freely moving in a three-dimensional space, but is not limited thereto. For example, the GPS signal receiving robot may be a mobile robot in the form of a vehicle having a plurality of wheels that can freely move on a plane such as the ground, for example, rolling on the ground. Further, for example, the GPS signal receiving robot may be a mobile robot that moves on rails, that is, can move in one direction. That is, the GPS signal receiving robot may be a mobile robot that can move to a position where the GPS signal can be received with high accuracy.

Further, in the case of the first embodiment described above, the position measurement target (target) is a multicopter-type inspection robot that can freely move in the three-dimensional space, but is not limited thereto. For example, the target may be a vehicle-shaped inspection robot having a plurality of wheels that can move freely on a plane such as the ground, for example, that rolls on the ground. Also, for example, the target may be an inspection robot that moves on rails, that is, can move in one direction. Further, for example, the target may be a stationary inspection station that does not move.

Furthermore, in the case of the above-described first embodiment, the position of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 is controlled based on the evaluation value map created by the evaluation value map creation unit 112. As a result, the GPS signal receiving robot is located at a high-precision receiving position where a high-precision GPS signal can be received and at a high-quality communication position where a high-quality communication path can be established with the inspection robot 200. 100 can be arranged in a short time. This evaluation value map may be created in advance by another GPS signal receiving robot 100.

Furthermore, in the case of the above-described first embodiment, the relative positions of the inspection robot 200 with respect to the GPS signal receiving robot 100 are, as shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of pattern signal output devices 150A to the GPS signal receiving robot 100 provided. The detection is performed using the 150D and the pattern signal receiving device 250 provided in the inspection robot 200 that receives the pattern signals SA to SD output from them. The relative position detection unit 206 that finally detects (calculates) the relative position is provided in the inspection robot 200. The embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this.

For example, a stereo camera device or a laser scanning device can be used to detect the relative position of the inspection robot with respect to the GPS signal receiving robot. In this case, the stereo camera device or the laser scanning device is mounted on either the GPS signal receiving robot or the inspection robot as the relative position detecting unit. That is, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, it does not matter whether the relative position detection unit is mounted on the GPS signal receiving robot or the inspection robot.

Regarding this, in the case of the above-described first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the GPS signal receiving robot 100 is provided with the position calculation unit 208 for calculating the position of the inspection robot 200 provided in the inspection robot 200. Is also possible.

As described above, the position calculation unit 208 is based on the position of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 calculated by the GPS signal receiving unit 106 of the GPS signal receiving robot 100 and the relative position detected by the relative position detecting unit 206. The position of the inspection robot 200 is calculated. Therefore, when a stereo camera device, a laser scanning device, or the like is provided in the GPS signal receiving robot 100 as a relative position detecting unit 206, if the position calculating unit 208 of the inspection robot 200 is also provided in the GPS signal receiving robot 100, the inspection robot 200 All the arithmetic processes necessary for calculating the position can be executed on the GPS signal receiving robot 100 side. This eliminates the need to mount an arithmetic unit such as a CPU for arithmetic processing on the inspection robot 200. The position (data) of the inspection robot 200 calculated on the GPS signal receiving robot 100 side is transmitted to the inspection robot 200 via the communication unit.

Since the inspection robot 200 needs information on its own position, when the position calculation unit 208 of the inspection robot 200 is provided in the GPS signal receiving robot 100, the position of the inspection robot 200 calculated by the position calculation unit 2208 (Data) is provided from the GPS signal receiving robot 100 to the inspection robot 200. However, the target according to the embodiment of the present disclosure does not have to be a target that requires a self-position like an inspection robot. For example, if the target is a human, a laser scanning device mounted on the GPS signal receiving robot as a relative position detector detects the relative position of the human, and based on the detected relative position and the position of the GPS signal receiving robot. The position of a human may be calculated. The calculated human position is used for human monitoring and observation. In this case, since communication between the GPS signal receiving robot and a human is unnecessary, the communication unit and the communication path quality evaluation unit can be omitted.

Regarding the communication path quality evaluation unit, the communication path quality evaluation unit can be omitted even when the communication path is stable with a certain quality, for example, when the communication path is wired.

Based on these facts, the position measurement system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is, in a broad sense, a position measurement system that measures the position of a target using a mobile robot, and is mounted on the mobile robot and GNSS. A GNSS signal receiving unit that receives a signal and calculates the position of the mobile robot based on the GNSS signal, and a GNSS signal accuracy evaluation unit that is mounted on the mobile robot and evaluates the positioning accuracy of the received GNSS signal. A position control unit that moves the mobile robot to a high-precision reception position that can receive a GNSS signal that is mounted on the mobile robot and can obtain a positioning accuracy higher than that of the first threshold accuracy, and the high-precision reception position. Based on the relative position detection unit that detects the relative position of the target with respect to the mobile robot located in, the position of the mobile robot calculated based on the GNSS signal received at the high-precision reception position, and the relative position. It has a target position calculation unit for calculating the position of the target.

Further, the GPS signal accuracy evaluation unit 108, the communication path quality evaluation unit 110, the evaluation value map creation unit 112, the position calculation unit 208, the position integration unit 516, and the used position of the position measurement system according to the above-described first to sixth embodiments. The selection unit 618 can be realized in various forms, and may be realized in various forms. For example, the processing executed by these components is executed by using an arithmetic unit such as a CPU, a program that causes the CPU to execute these processing, and a storage device such as a ROM or RAM that stores the program. That is, these components are composed of an arithmetic unit, a program, and a storage device. The storage device may be the storage units 114 and 212.

Further, any of the above-described embodiments 1 to 6 may be combined to form a new embodiment.

As described above, some embodiments have been described as examples of the techniques in the present disclosure. To that end, the accompanying drawings and detailed explanations have been provided. Therefore, among the components described in the attached drawings and the detailed description, not only the components essential for solving the problem but also the components not essential for solving the problem in order to exemplify the technique. Can also be included. Therefore, the fact that these non-essential components are described in the accompanying drawings or detailed description should not immediately determine that those non-essential components are essential.

Further, since the above-described embodiment is for exemplifying the technique in the present disclosure, various changes, replacements, additions, omissions, etc. can be made within the scope of claims or the equivalent scope thereof.

10 Position measurement system 100 Mobile robot (GPS signal receiving robot)
106 GNSS signal receiver (GPS signal receiver)
108 GNSS signal accuracy evaluation unit (GPS signal accuracy evaluation unit)
104 Position control unit 200 Target (inspection robot)
206 Relative position detection unit 208 Target position calculation unit (position calculation unit)

Claims (16)

A position measurement system that measures the position of a target using a mobile robot.
A GNSS signal receiving unit mounted on the mobile robot, receiving a GNSS signal, and calculating the position of the mobile robot based on the GNSS signal.
A GNSS signal accuracy evaluation unit mounted on the mobile robot and evaluating the positioning accuracy based on the received GNSS signal.
A position control unit mounted on the mobile robot to move the mobile robot to a high-precision reception position capable of receiving a GNSS signal capable of obtaining positioning accuracy higher than that of the first threshold accuracy.
A relative position detection unit that detects the relative position of the target with respect to the mobile robot located at the high-precision reception position, and
A position measurement system including a target position calculation unit that calculates the position of the target based on the position of the mobile robot calculated based on the GNSS signal received at the high-precision reception position and the relative position.
With the mobile robot side communication unit mounted on the mobile robot,
A target-side communication unit mounted on the target and communicating with the mobile robot-side communication unit,
A communication path quality evaluation unit that evaluates the quality of the communication path between the mobile robot side communication unit and the target side communication unit,
Have,
The mobile robot is moved to a position where the position control unit is a high-precision reception position and also a high-quality communication position capable of establishing a communication path of higher quality than the first threshold quality.
The relative position detection unit detects the relative position of the target with respect to the mobile robot located at the position of the high-precision reception position and the high-quality communication position.
The position of the target is based on the position of the mobile robot calculated based on the GNSS signal received by the target position calculation unit at the high-precision reception position and the high-quality communication position and the relative position. The position measurement system according to claim 1, wherein the position measurement system is calculated.
Based on the accuracy evaluation result of the GNSS signal accuracy evaluation unit and the quality evaluation result of the communication path quality evaluation unit mounted on the mobile robot, the reception of the GNSS signal for each position in space and the target It has an evaluation value map creation unit that creates an evaluation value map including an aptitude evaluation value indicating the suitability for relaying a GNSS signal to communication.
The position measurement system according to claim 2, wherein the position control unit moves the mobile robot to the position of the highest aptitude evaluation value based on the evaluation value map.
When the mobile robot is positioned at the position of the highest aptitude evaluation value, the GNSS signal accuracy evaluation unit evaluates the positioning accuracy by the GNSS signal, and the communication path quality evaluation unit evaluates the quality of the communication path.
When the positioning accuracy based on the evaluated GNSS signal is higher than the first threshold accuracy, and the quality of the evaluated communication path is higher than the first threshold quality in the first situation.
The position measurement system according to claim 3, wherein the target position calculation unit calculates the position of the target.
When the mobile robot is positioned at the position of the highest aptitude evaluation value, the GNSS signal accuracy evaluation unit evaluates the positioning accuracy by the GNSS signal, and the communication path quality evaluation unit evaluates the quality of the communication path.
The positioning accuracy based on the evaluated GNSS signal is lower than the first threshold accuracy. The quality of the evaluated communication path is lower than that of the second threshold accuracy, and the quality of the evaluated communication path is lower than that of the first threshold quality. If the second situation is lower than the lower second threshold quality,
The position measurement system according to claim 3, wherein the evaluation value map creation unit updates the evaluation value map using the positioning accuracy based on the evaluated GNSS signal and the quality of the communication path.
When the mobile robot is positioned at the position of the highest aptitude evaluation value, the GNSS signal accuracy evaluation unit evaluates the positioning accuracy by the GNSS signal, and the communication path quality evaluation unit evaluates the quality of the communication path.
In the first situation, the positioning accuracy based on the evaluated GNSS signal is higher than the first threshold accuracy, and the quality of the evaluated communication path is higher than the first threshold quality.
The positioning accuracy based on the evaluated GNSS signal is lower than the first threshold accuracy, and is lower than the second threshold accuracy, and the quality of the evaluated communication path is the first threshold quality. If the situation is different for both the second situation, which is lower than the second threshold quality, which is lower than
The position measurement system according to claim 3, wherein the position control unit moves the mobile robot to change the position.
The relative position detection unit and the target position calculation unit are mounted on the target.
The position measurement system according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the position of the mobile robot calculated by the GNSS signal receiving unit is transmitted from the mobile robot side communication unit to the target side communication unit.
The invention according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which is mounted on the target, receives the GNSS signal, and has a second GNSS signal receiving unit that calculates the position of the target based on the GNSS signal. Positioning system.
The position measurement system according to claim 8, further comprising a target position integration unit mounted on the target and integrating the positions of the targets calculated by the target position calculation unit and the second GNSS signal reception unit.
The position measurement system according to claim 8, further comprising a target position selection unit mounted on the target and selecting the position of the target calculated by each of the target position calculation unit and the second GNSS signal reception unit.
The position measurement system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the target is a robot that is movable and performs a survey using the position of the target.
The position measurement system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the mobile robot includes a fixing portion for fixing its position.
A position measurement method that measures the position of a target using a mobile robot.
The positioning accuracy is evaluated by the GNSS signal mounted on the mobile robot, which receives the GNSS signal and is received by the GNSS signal receiving unit which calculates the position of the mobile robot based on the GNSS signal.
The mobile robot is moved to a high-precision reception position where it can receive a GNSS signal that can obtain a positioning accuracy higher than that of the first threshold accuracy.
The relative position of the target with respect to the mobile robot located at the high-precision reception position is detected.
A position measurement method for calculating the position of the target based on the position of the mobile robot calculated based on the GNSS signal received at the high-precision reception position and the relative position.
A mobile robot that can be used to measure the position of a target.
A GNSS signal receiving unit that receives a GNSS signal and calculates the position of the mobile robot used for measuring the position of the target based on the GNSS signal.
The GNSS signal accuracy evaluation unit that evaluates the positioning accuracy of the received GNSS signal,
A mobile robot having a position control unit for moving the mobile robot to a high-precision reception position capable of receiving a GNSS signal capable of obtaining a positioning accuracy higher than that of the first threshold accuracy.
The mobile robot according to claim 14, further comprising a relative position detection unit for detecting the relative position of the target with respect to the mobile robot located at the high-precision reception position.
The mobile robot according to claim 15, further comprising a target position calculation unit that calculates the position of the target based on the position of the mobile robot calculated based on the GNSS signal received at the high-precision reception position and the relative position. ..

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